Gender discrimination: notification.

Existing law prohibits a business establishment from discriminating against a person because of the person's gender with respect to the price charged for services of similar or like kind. Existing law also requires specified business establishments to disclose in writing the pricing for each standard service, as defined, to display, in a specified manner, a sign stating that it is illegal to base pricing on gender and that a complete price list is available upon request, and to display, in a specified manner, a price list, and to provide the customer with a copy of the complete price list upon request. Existing law requires the Department of Consumer Affairs to develop a pamphlet or other informational materials to explain a business establishment's rights and obligations under these provisions. Existing law requires the department to provide the pamphlet or other informational materials to affected business establishments at specified times and to make the pamphlet or other informational materials available on the department's internet website. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2021, require a city, county, or city and county that issues local business licenses to provide written notification in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean of the above provisions to the licensee at the time the business license is issued or renewed. The bill would declare that it addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. By requiring local agencies to comply with these requirements, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Department of Consumer Affairs to develop, by October 1, 2020, a written notification of the above provisions in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean and would require the notification to be available for download from the department's internet website. The bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county to provide the department's written notification to a business and to increase the fee for a business license to cover the reasonable cost of providing the notice. The bill would, commencing October 1, 2020, require the department to provide the pamphlet and other informational materials in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean. The bill would require the department to subsequently revise the pamphlet and notice, as necessary. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.